Oxidative diketonates

Oxidation of benzoin with concentrated nitric acid or by catalytic amounts of cupric salts in acetic acid solution, which are regenerated continuously by ammonium nitrate, yields the diketone benzil ... 

CgHjCOCHj + SeOa —> CgHgCOCHO + Se + H O This is one example of the oxidation by selenium dioxide of compounds containing a methylene group adjacent to a carbonyl group to thecorresponding a-ketoaldehyde or a-diketone (see also Section VII,23). 

Mesityl oxide (Section 111,79) (I) condenses with ethyl malonate in the presence of sodium ethoxide to give the sodium derivative of (II) this upon hydrolysis with aqueous potassium hydroxide, followed by acidification, gives the cyclic diketone 5 5-dimethyl-l 3-cycfohexanedione (III), of which the enoUc form is 5 5-dimethyldihydroresorcinol (IV) ... 

Internal alkynes are oxidized to acytoins by thalliuin(III) in acidic solution (A. McKil-lop, 1973 G.W. Rotermund, 1975) or to 1,2-diketones by permanganate or by in situ generated ruthenium tetroxide (D.G. Lee, 1969, 1973 H. Gopal, 1971). Terminal alkynes undergo oxidative degradation to carboxylic acids with loss of the terminal carbon atom with these oxidants. 

Several 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds are prepared based on this oxidation. Typically, the 1,4-diketone 10 or the 1,4-keto aldehyde 12 can be prepared by the allylation of a ketone[24] or aldehyde[61,62], followed by oxidation. The reaction is a good annulation method for cyclopentenones (11 and 13). Syntheses of pentalenene[78], laurenene[67], descarboxyquadrone[79], muscone (14 R = Me)[80]) and the coriolin intermediate 15[71] have been carried out by using allyl group as the masked methyl ketone (facing page). 

Conjugate addition of vinyllithium or a vinyl Grignard reagent to enones and subsequent oxidation afford the 1.4-diketone 16[25]. 4-Oxopentanals are synthesized from allylic alcohols by [3,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of their vinyl ethers and subsequent oxidation of the terminal double bond. Dihydrojasmone (18) was synthesized from allyl 2-octenyl ether (17) based on Claisen rearrangement and oxidation[25] (page 26). 

Acetoxy-l,7-octadiene (40) is converted into l,7-octadien-3-one (124) by hydrolysis and oxidation. The most useful application of this enone 124 is bisannulation to form two fused six-membered ketonesfl 13], The Michael addition of 2-methyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (125) to 124 and asymmetric aldol condensation using (5)-phenylalanine afford the optically active diketone 126. The terminal alkene is oxidi2ed with PdCl2-CuCl2-02 to give the methyl ketone 127 in 77% yield. Finally, reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation produce the important intermediate 128 of steroid synthesis in optically pure form[114]. 

The method was applied to the synthesis of (-t-)-l9-nortestosterone by the following sequence of reactions. Michael addition of the bisannulation reagent 124 to the optically active keto ester 129 and decarboxylation afforded 130, and subsequent aldol condensation gave 131. Selective Pd-catalyzed oxidation of the terminal double bond afforded the diketone 132 in 78% yield. Reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation gave ( + )-19-nortestosterone (133)[114]. 

Acids are usually the end products of ketone oxidations (41,42,44) but vicinal diketones and hydroperoxyketones are apparent intermediates (45). Acids are readily produced from vicinal diketones, perhaps through anhydrides (via, eg, a Bayer-ViUiger reaction) (46,47). The hydroperoxyketones reportedly decompose to diketones as well as to aldehydes and acids (45). Similar products are expected from radical— radical reactions of the corresponding peroxy radical precursors. 

Tris(2,4-pentanedionato)iron(III) [14024-18-1], Fe(C H202)3 or Fe(acac)3, forms mby red rhombic crystals that melt at 184°C. This high spin complex is obtained by reaction of iron(III) hydroxide and excess ligand. It is only slightly soluble in water, but is soluble in alcohol, acetone, chloroform, or benzene. The stmcture has a near-octahedral arrangement of the six oxygen atoms. Related complexes can be formed with other P-diketones by either direct synthesis or exchange of the diketone into Fe(acac)3. The complex is used as a catalyst in oxidation and polymerization reactions. 

Diketones can be prepared by oxidation of the corresponding monoketone (287) or a-hydroxyketone (288). 1,2-Diketones are used extensively as intermediates in the preparation of pharmaceuticals, flavors, and fragrances. Toxicity data for selected diketones are shown in Table 11. 

The toxicity of 2,4-pentanedione is shown in Tables 3 and 11 to be similar to mesityl oxide, and greater than most other 1,2- or 1,4-diketones or monoketones. Inhalation of low levels of 2,4-pentanedione can cause nausea, eye contact can induce stinging, and recurrent exposure to high concentrations (300—400 ppm) can adversely affect the central nervous system and immune system (325). 

Diketones are intermediates for synthesis of perfumes and natural products, and several preparative methods have been developed (327) in the simplest preparative methods, ketone enolates ate oxidatively dimerized (328) ... 

Hexanedione [110-13-4] (acetonylacetone) is one of the most widely used 1,4-diketones. It is a colorless high boiling Hquid prepared by the hydrolysis of 2,5-dimethylfuran (332,333), by oxidation of 2,5-hexanediol (334) or 5-hexen-l-one (335), and from allylacetone (336). Its main use is in solvent systems and as a raw material for chemical synthesis. It is reportedly not highly toxic (336). 

PurpurogaHin (5), a red-brown to black mordant dye, forms from electrolytic and other mild oxidations of pyrogaHol (1). The reaction is beHeved to proceed through 3-hydroxy-(9-benzoquinone (2) and 3-hydroxy-6-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)-(9-benzoquinone (3). The last, in the form of its tautomeric triketonic stmcture, represents the vinylogue of a P-diketone. Acid hydrolysis leads to the formation of (4), foHowed by cyclization and loss of formic acid... 

Noncatalytic oxidation of propylene to propylene oxide is also possible. Use of a small amount of aldehyde in the gas-phase oxidation of propylene at 200—350°C and up to 6900 kPa (1000 psi) results in about 44% selectivity to propylene oxide. About 10% conversion of propylene results (214—215). Photochemical oxidation of propylene with oxygen to propylene oxide has been demonstrated in the presence of a-diketone sensitizers and an aprotic solvent (216). 

Diacetyl, acetoin, and diketones form during fermentation. Diacetyl has a pronounced effect on flavor, with a threshold of perception of 0.1—0.2 ppm at 0.45 ppm it produces a cheesy flavor. U.S. lager beer has a very mild flavor and generally has lower concentrations of diacetyl than ale. Diacetyl probably forms from the decarboxylation of a-ethyl acetolactate to acetoin and consequent oxidation of acetoin to diacetyl. The yeast enzyme diacetyl reductase can kreversibly reduce diacetyl to acetoin. Aldehyde concentrations are usually 10—20 ppm. Thek effects on flavor must be minor, since the perception threshold is about 25 ppm. 

Diehlorotriphenylantimony has been suggested as a flame retardant (177,178) and as a catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene carbonate (179). Dihromotriphenylantimony has been used as a catalyst for the reaction between carbon dioxide and epoxides to form cycHc carbonates (180) and for the oxidation of a-keto alcohols to diketones (181). 

Many pyrazine and quinoxaline syntheses yield mono- or di-N-oxides (76H(4)769). The condensation of a-aminooximes with 1,2-diketones results in the direct formation of pyrazine mono-N-oxides. The a-aminooximes themselves are not easily prepared but 2-amino-2-deoxy sugars readily form the oximes, which have been condensed with glyoxal to yield the pyrazine 4-oxides (Scheme 18) (72JOC2635, 80JOC1693). 

Monooximes of a-diketones have found applicability in the synthesis of 2-aminopyrazine 1-oxides by condensation with a-aminonitriles, and this reaction was used by White and coworkers in an approach to the synthesis of Cypridina etioluciferamine (Scheme 66 R = 3-indoloyl) (73T3761). In this instance, the use of TiCU as a catalyst was essential, since the carbonyl group in 3-acylindoles is normally deactivated and the required amine/carbonyl condensation is impractically slow. Under normal circumstances the carbonyl group in simple alkyl-substituted monoximes of a-diketones is the more reactive site and the reaction is rapid, requiring no catalysis (69LA(726)loo). 

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